Field
The present disclosure relates to refrigerators. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a refrigerator with a refrigerator door that facilitates opening of the refrigerator as well as inspection and replacement of components, while preserving aesthetics.
Discussion of the Related Art
Generally described, a refrigerator is an appliance that maintains foodstuffs in a refrigerated or frozen state to enable the foodstuffs to remain fresher for an extended period of time. Typically, the main body of the refrigerator has at least one cooling chamber for refrigerating or freezing food, in other words, a refrigeration chamber and a freezing chamber. The refrigerator main body may be provided with a refrigeration cycle system for supplying cold air into the cooling chamber.
The main body of the refrigerator usually has a door for opening and closing the cooling chamber. The door may be rotatably mounted onto a front surface of the cooling chamber. Alternatively, the door may be implemented as a drawer, which is slideable along back and forth directions of the cooling chamber. This drawer type of door may be implemented as a freezing chamber door for opening and closing a freezer.
FIGS. 1-3 illustrate the related art. FIG. 1 is a view showing one exemplary embodiment of a refrigerator door according to the related art, and FIG. 2 is a disassembled perspective view showing a sliding area on one side of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator may include a refrigerator main body 10 having a cooling chamber 20, and a door 25 for opening and closing the cooling chamber 20. The cooling chamber 20 may include a freezing chamber 21 and a refrigerating chamber 22. A refrigerating chamber door 26 may be mounted onto a front surface of the refrigerating chamber 22, and a freezing chamber door 31 may be mounted onto the freezing chamber 21.
The freezing chamber door 31 may be implemented as a drawer type door which is slideable back and forth. The freezing chamber door 31 may include a door main body 33, and a handle 25 disposed on a front surface of the door main body 33. The handle 35 may be rotatable away from the door main body 33.
A slider 37 may be disposed on an upper area of an inner surface of the door main body 33. The slider 37 may protrude to the rear of the door main body 33 when the handle 35 is pulled to open the freezing chamber 21. The slider 37 protruded from the door main body 33 may contact an edge of an opening of the cooling chamber 20, namely, the freezing chamber 21, so as to press the door main body 33 to be separated from the cooling chamber 20. This may facilitate for opening of the door main body 33.
The slider 37, as shown in FIG. 2, may include a sliding part 38 which is horizontally disposed and slideable, and a body part 39 for supporting the sliding part 38. The slider 37 may also include a spring 40 for restoring the sliding part 38 and the body part 39 to their initial positions. A linker 60 for transferring a driving force, applied upon pulling the handle 35, to the slider 37 may be placed in the door main body 33. The linker 60 may include a body 61, and a first linker axis 63 and a second linker axis 64 for rotatably supporting the body 61.
When the linker 60 is rotated by the handle 35, a head part 62 of the body 61 may press the body part 39 of the slider 37. Accordingly, the slider 37 may protrude from the door main body 33 toward the refrigerator main body 10. A lever 70 for transferring the movement of the handle 35 to the linker 60 may be located between the handle 35 and the linker 60. The lever 70 may include a body part 71, and a first lever axis 73 and a second lever axis 74 for rotatably supporting the body part 71. The lever 70 may be provided with a handle coupling part 75 to which the handle 35 is coupled. A housing 50 may be disposed in the door main body 33 so as to receive therein the linker 60, the slider 37, the spring 40, the lever 70 and the handle 35.
The housing 50 may be provided in plurality, which are coupled onto each other in a facing manner. The housing 50 may include an inner housing 53 located in a central portion of the door main body 33, and an outer housing 51 coupled to both sides of the inner housing 53, respectively. A first receiving part 54 for receiving therein the slider 37, the spring 40 and the linker 60 and a second receiving part 55 for receiving the handle 35 may be disposed within the inner housing 53 and the outer housings 51.
A first linker axis supporting part 56 and a second linker axis supporting part 57 for receiving and supporting the first linker axis 63 and the second linker axis 64 of the linker 60, respectively, may be formed in the outer housings 51 and the inner housing 53. Also, a first lever axis supporting part 58 and a second lever axis supporting part 59 for receiving and supporting the first lever axis 73 and the second lever axis 74, respectively, may be formed in the outer housing 51 and the inner housing 53.
However, in the related art refrigerator door, the outer housing 51 and the inner housing 53 may be inserted between an outer case and an inner case of the door main body 33 prior to placing foam on the door main body 33 and surrounded by a foaming agent upon foaming the door main body 33. This may make it difficult to detach the outer housing 51 and the inner housing 53. Accordingly, with the difficulty of detaching the slider 37, the linker 60 and the lever 70, which are coupled in the outer housing 51 and the inner housing 53 surrounded by the foaming agent, repair and/or replacement of such components may be unable upon an occurrence of disorder. Consequently, the refrigerator door should be replaced. Regarding the problem, a refrigerator door capable of inspecting and repairing a driving force transfer unit during usage has been introduced.
FIG. 3 is a view showing another example of a refrigerator door according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 3, a door 40 for a refrigerator may include a door main body 41, a handle 45 rotatable disposed on a front surface of the door main body 41, sliders 47 backwardly extendible from an upper area of an inner surface of the door main body 41, a driving force transfer unit (not shown) disposed in the door main body 41 for transferring a driving force, applied to the handle 45, to the slider 47.
A receiving part 42 in which the driving force transfer unit is received may be disposed on an upper area of the door main body 41. The receiving part 42, for example, may have an opening at an upper end of the door main body 41. A cover 44 for opening and closing the receiving part 42 may be disposed on the opening of the receiving part 42.
However, in the related art refrigerator door, forming a receiving part 42 having the opening on the upper end of the door main body 41 and placing the cover 44 for opening and closing the receiving part 41 in order to inspect the driving force transfer unit, can give rise to unsanitary conditions in the edge areas of the receiving part 42 and/or the cover 44. As a result, the refrigerator may be easily contaminated by foreign materials and the like, and have a diminished appearance. Consequently, the edge areas may lead to lower overall quality of the appearance of the refrigerator.